Container,particularly for liquids



March 4, 1969 N. BUCHNER ET AL CONTAINER, .PARTICULARLY FOR LIQUIDS Filed Jan. ll, 1967 Fi G I INVENTORS- NORBERT BUCHNER ROLF KHNLEIN ATTORNEY United States Patent O U.S. Cl. 220--66 8 Claims Int. Cl. B65d 7/42 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLGSURE A tube-like container of substantially rectangular crosssection composed of fibrous or similar material in which the bottom and/ or top cover are composed of metal foil and stilfened by corrugations.

The invention relates generally to a container and, more particularly, to a container of tube-like -construction adapted for carrying liquids such as fruit juice or the like.

In containers for carrying fluid products it is already' known to utilize a deep-drawn metal foil cover with the peripheral rim being secured over the exterior end surface of the tube-like body. A liquid-tight integrity between the cover and the tube-like body is established by means of thermoplastic material which is suitably secured therebetween.

The containers of the prior art are disadvantageous in that a load transverse to the longitudinal axis of the container causes, frequently, a bulging or buckling of the top or the bottom closure member, or both. Su-ch conditions occur when, for example, the containers are stacked in an unskilled manner, or when the rsame are accidentally dropped. Such deformation, particularly of the top cover, gives the closure members an objectionable appearance which hinders the sale of the container even though, under some circumstances, the closure member may not have been damaged.

In order to eliminate, or at least to reduce, the disadvantages common with such prior art devices, it is proposed, in accordance with this invention, to stilfen and reinforce the closure members lby means of impressing thereinto circular, arc-like corrugations and placing same symmetrically in juxtaposition to each of the corners of the container. The transverse load which the end closure members may safely absorb is thereby increased and, in any event, even if some deformation should take place the unique configuration of the end members will make any deformation that might occur less obvious.

Another, and more specific, aspect of this invention relates to a stifened closure member in which the main surface thereof is calotte shaped in a direction away from the container, so that even excess pressure within the container can be more readily absorbed by the closure member (s) In another modification of this invention, the calotteshaped surface of the closure member(s) is Varranged tangent to an imaginary plane which extends across the peripheral edges of the member(s) It is therefore the primary object of this invention to provide a container adapted for liquids in which the bottom and/or top closure member is stil-tened and reinforced by corrugations to increase the strength of the container and to avoid deformation of such member(s).

It is a further and more specific object of this invention to provide a container with a corrugated end closure ICC member which is adapted to absorb, more readily, excess 4pressure in the container lby incorporating resiliency vand increased strength into the closure member surface.

It is another object of this invention to provide a container of the type described, in which the corrugations are arranged in such a manner that deformation of the cover becomes less likely and, if the same does occur, that the same is less obvious.

For a better understanding of the present invention, together with other and further objects thereof, reference is had to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, and its scope will be pointed outin the appended claim.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a top view of the container in laccordance with the invention; and

FIGURE 2 illustrates a longitudinal section of the container taken along line 2-2 of FIGURE l.

Referring -now to the drawing, there is shown in FIG- URES l and 2 a tubular container body 1 having a crosssection which is substantially square and is composed of cardboard, heavy paper, or fibrous material which may be coated with thermoplastic material and/or lined with a metal foil. The end openings of the container body 1 are closed by a top and a bottom closure member 2 and 3 respectively. Each closure member has a central portion 7, respectively 11, surrounded by a peripheral rim 4 of U-shaped configuration which fits snugly onto the terminal end 5 of the container body 1. The rim portion 4 is of the countersink type and is secured to body 1 -by adhesive means or thermoplastic bonding material utilizing, simultaneously, pressure and heat as is the conventional practice. The prime object here being to fuse, or otherwise secure, the closure members to the body 1 to insure fluid-tight integrity of the container.

In the preferred embodiment of this invention, the closure members 2, 3 are composed of a metal foil, preferably, a suitably thermoplastically coated aluminum foil of the type that is deep drawn.

Each closure member 2, 3 is provided with a plurality of discrete corrugations 6, each thereof extending in circular arc-like form around one corner of the square-like closure member 2, 3. The corrugations are arranged symmetrically in sets of three, each corrugation concentric to the other, with the common central axis being located proximate to the corner point which each yset faces. Consequently, in view of the foregoing, each closure member 2, 3 has four sets of discrete corrugations and in the center of the closure member, between the sets of corrugations, there is arranged a single, continuous, substantially diamond-shaped, corrugation 6a. Each circular arc which forms the diamond is concentrically arranged relative to one of the sets of corrugations 6.

These stiffening corrugations `6 and 6a, or depressions, are of semi-circular cross-section and are fabricated into the closure member 2, 3 during the deep-drawing process used `for making such member.

While both of the closure members 2, 3 are, in the preferred embodiment, provided 'with the above-described corrugations, the bottom closure member 3 differs from the top closure member 2 in that the main surface 11 of member 3 is calotte-like shaped while surface 7 is generally flat. Such calotte or cap-shape configuration increases the strength of the container and Imakes it possible to absorb excess pressure that may be generated therein. The surface 11 of the closure member 3 is outwardly curved in such a manner that the same lies tangent to an imaginary plane across the upper end of rim 4 of this member.

The corrugated closure member 2, 3, of the type described, serves Anot only to increase the volume of the container, but also makes it possible to obtain a stiftening and reinforcement effect of the material used for making the closure member 2, 3 by means of coldworking.

For simplicity, only a single container body has been shown with exemplary closure members. It is, of course, obvious that either or both of the above-described closure members may be used in conjunction with the container body.

While there have ybeen described what are at present considered to ybe the preferred embodiments of this invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein lwithout departing from the invention, and it is, therefore, aimed in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modiiications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. A container comprising: a tube-like `body of substantially rectangular cross-section composed of paperlike material; a top and a bottom closure member of metal foil, said top member being secured to one end and the bottom member to the other end of said tubelike body; the metal foil of at least one of said closure members having impressed thereinto a plurality of dislcrete, corrugations of circular, arc-like coniiguration with two or more of said corrugations being arranged about different centers of curvature each located adjacent a corner of the said closure member.

2. A container according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the closure members is calotte-shaped.

3. A container according to claim 2, wherein said calotte-shaped member is arranged tangent to an imaginary plane across the axial periphery of said member.

4. A container according to claim 1, and a closed continuous corrugation located proximate to the center of the closure member and symmetrically relative to said discrete corrugations.

5. A container according to claim 4, wherein Said last mentioned corrugation is diamond-shaped.

6. A container having a tube-like body of substantially rectangular cross-section and a top and bottom closure member of metal foil secured to said body; at least one of said closure members having impressed into said metal foil a plurality of corrugations of circular arc-like configuration; the majority of said corrugations being discrete and concave toward a corner of the rectangular closure member; said discrete corrugations being arranged in sets with each set comprising a plurality of corrugations and each corrugation of the set Abeing disposed concentric to each other with the center of curvature of the set or arc-like corrugations being 1ocated proximate to that corner of the closure member adjacent to each set.

7. A container according to claim 6, and a diamondshaped corrugation located symmetrically relative to said sets of corrugations substantially in the center of said closure member.

8. A container according to claim 7, wherein at least one of said closure members is calotte-shaped.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,022,074 4/ 1912 Graham 220-72 X 1,469,067 9/ 1923 Coates 229-5.6 X 1,957,639 5/1934 Goodwin 220-72 2,079,599 5/ 1937 Bonthron 220--66 X 2,176,950 10/ 1939 Aument 229-5.6

FOREIGN PATENTS 93 8,609 10/ 1963 Great Britain. 385,100 2/ 1965 Switzerland.

JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

I. R. GARRETT, Assistant Examiner. 

